Search:through

Alex Font is a serious guy who knows that now is his time. A multi-instrumentalist, as well as a producer and DJ, he can sometimes be seen on stage in trademark shirt and bow tie. He declares himself a lover of vinyl and, above all, what he calls real house. I think that says it all.

'NOW IS MY TIME' is the fifth release on the Oblack label and is available in black vinyl and digital. It is undeniable proof that Alex Font has arrived and is now a permanent force on the House scene, mainly in soul and dance, but who also knows how to reinvent his sound using new tech. Always with an eye on the future of sound innovation, he still manages to keep hold of his roots and respect his great influences. Well, nothing less would do. On this EP you can tell that Alex Font (remember, this is one serious guy) knows what he has in his hands and spinning on his turntable. His knowledge of musical composition, harmony and engineering skills jump out at you as soon as the first beat of 'Now is my time' hits the speakers: darkness, sophistication, soul and groove. There's a perfect command of tempo, of where, when and how. You pick up on the instrumental skills which allow him to do what he wants, when he wants. That's what's so great about this: you're struck by the ease of how such perfect technique and astoundingly good taste come together. Digitally analogical (or is it the other way round), this is the deeply profound vs. the dancefloor. It fascinates and liberates, carrying you off through different dimensions before breaking out of itself, with no need for artificial fanfares as it's so perfectly defined by Chicagoan pianos, hi-hats, funkoid vocals, etc. He's simply extraordinary: Alex Font signed by Oblack 005.

The remix by Martinez gives this track a technical edge and club splendor. Leaving out the more classic elements of house that are present in the original, the Swedish producer slows things down so that it doesn't lose any of its elegance, but at the same time the track gains punch on the dancefloor, and there's no doubt that it works. As cool as it is effective at inciting dance and everything else that comes with gyrating your pelvis in the early hours of the morning.

Finally, the Argentinian Shall Ocin plays the scoundrel here by adding diverse electronic elements that take the track into a new dimension. By giving the vocal more prominence, here it takes centre stage, and over a well-layered tech-house base, it makes the tremendous savoir faire of the original literally surf, while at the same time respecting and completing it.

In the end, it's great that you know that this is your time and that you want to share it, through Oblack and on vinyl, with all of us. Thanks comrade.

After two in as many years, low-key German producer Yør returns to similarly low key Dutch imprint Purple Maze for his third full outing on the label in the form of the 'Sublimation EP'. Across the four tracks Yør continues to explore the same frayed and decayed, abstract electronics as he has in the past, with distant kins like Kassem Mosse and Morphosis still resonating.
The opener and title track is an intense and moody, nerve jangling affair where huge searching synths pan in the background of grinding drums and dense percussive clatter before 'Gravity', with its heavyweight and churning drums, trudges on through sonic scuzz and lo-fi blizzards as a backlit melody keeps things from growing all too dark and abstract.

The many different contrasting surfaces and counterpointed moods make Yør's sounds as arresting as they are. The dystopian, tortured industrial funk of 'Parallels' with its slapping claps and decaying percussive lines are proof of that, where through chaos comes beautiful order.
Closer 'Trust' holds its head a little higher, more spiralling synths and bleepy fax machines tones add a sense that the apocalypse is coming and machines will take over, but there's enough organic beauty in the deeply hidden melodies to keep the track from being all too hostile.

Dutch producers Mindmapper & Fre4knc team up to deliver the 'Martial Manners' EP in celebration of Translation Recordings' tenth vinyl release, which comes on a visually stunning piece of crystal & transparent white vinyl! Up first is 'Collessius,' whose heavy-rolling bassline rushes in with the
force of a tsunami, leaving a wake of dancefloor destruction in its path. 'Shutter Angel' is a futuristic track where tight, snappy breakbeats slingshot back and forth between an electrifying bassline that surges across the airwaves like a beam of focused energy. Mindmapper & Fre4knc
delve into darker territories on 'Fenryr,' whose gritty atmospherics and subterranean low
frequencies deliver a unique and immersive listening experience. They close the EP on a deep, meditative note with 'Mind of Steel' (digital only) where drum edits slice through growling bass riffs with blade-like precision. The 'Martial Manners' EP strikes the perfect balance between dancefloor and experimental to carry on Translation Recordings' ongoing mission to bridge audiences with quality music that can be enjoyed in all listening environments.

REPRESSED !!
Detroit veteran Len Bartush (Mutate) returns to advance the series that began with the now classic Circle 1. A full round kick and jack style upbeats are all that's necessary to support the deep, modulated synth lines that travel through lush plates of reverb. Alberto Pascual hits a homerun with his remix that will move any club, festival, or warehouse party. Project 313's remix supplies moving synth lines are stripped down and replaced with driving rhythms and pulsating bass making this a superb techno offering. The Plankton remix turns up the tension with warehouse style percussion and intertwining rhythms complimented by science- fictionesque stabs and pounding bass.

The 'Circle 2' EP is an essential piece of Detroit minimalism. Detroit veteran Len Bartush (Mutate) returns to advance the series that began with the now classic 'Circle 1'.

The EP starts off with Mutate's 'Circle 2' (Machined) original. A full round kick and jack style upbeats are all that are necessary to support the deep, modulated synth lines
that travel through lush plates of reverb, creating an atmosphere perfect for any techno desire from dance floor, to living room, to headphones.

Alberto Pascual hits a homerun with a remix that will move any club, festival, or warehouse party. Big room percussion, moving sub bass, and funky rim shots compliment the dark synths from the original.

Project 313's remix delivers with an interpretation that celebrates the true spirit of the original. Moving synth lines are stripped down and replaced with driving rhythms and pulsating bass, making this a superb techno offering.

The Plankton remix turns up the tension with warehouse style percussion and intertwining rhythms, complimented by science-fictionesque stabs and pounding bass.



DJ's Supporting release:


A.Trebor, Alberto Pascual, Altstadt Echo, Angel Alanis, Anthony Jimenez, Audio Injection , Brendon Moeller, Bruno Ledesma, Chris Liebing, Claude Young, Dadub, Daegon, DCibel, Developer, Drumcell, DVS1, Erphun, Exium - Hector, Exium - Valentin, Felix Lorusso, Hyperactive, Jeff Derringer, Joachim Spieth, Joel Morgan, Justin James, MADA Cedric, Mas Teeveh, Material Object, Measure Divide, Memnok , Monocraft, Morgan Thomas, Octave, Onoffon, Project 313, Rene Walther, Ricardo Garduno, Sigha, Sone, Submerge, Tommy Four Seven, Tony Kasper

Newly established music connection House is OK from Frankfurt and Zagreb is raising the roof with the upcoming We Make Music Vol. 1 release. Get into the party mode with Janis, Oliver Achatz, Homeboy and The Citizen's Band this December. We Make Music opens with JANIS 'Mind Made Up'; a reminder of the early Frankfurt House sound with a scent of the Soylent Green Remixes from the late 90ties. A distorted Techno siren that evolves over a tough and jacking 909 groove and finally leads into blissful deepness. Homeboy, who got some attention with his playful Hypercolour release, brings out the edgier and deeper sound in 'Sedam'; a track based on the elements of classic House, whilst breaking the borders through its arrangement and musical form. The jazzy synth riff that locks to a hypnotic 7/4 groove is what makes this track a quality gem. Previous support on Jimpsters Freerange podcast shall suffice as evidence. The flip-side starts with Oliver Achatz' track: 'It Won't Last'. Oli, being the sentimental one in this joint, proves that House music can work with a very sensual touch. The smooth and warm use of analogue synth lines combined with suggestive vocal samples, are played over a steadily drifting rhythm. This compound, of an almost meditative nature, will provide the perfect atmosphere for early morning club hours. The Citizen's Band, one half of Arto Mwambe, closes the compilation with a remix of Janis' 'Mind Made Up". TCB shows that a track doesn't need much to get the crowd jumping and the party working, by returning the tune to its basic elements and making it a club banger for the 'heads". We Make Music Vol. 1 is only the first out of the three upcoming releases set to shake your solid house ground.

New Leng signing Auf Togo are the combination of Clement Cachot-Coulom from the Fabulous Penetrators and Sasa Crnobrnja, one half of In Flagranti.
Their combined sound is one of vintage recording equipment and instruments coupled with tweaks and blends from the modern studio. This new 12 for Leng draws on all their knowledge of the past and of the current club scene, effortlessly gliding through deep, warm analogue sounds and tougher studio techniques. Both tracks have guitar work that reminisces of a late 60's West Coast scene laid over strong bass lines and beats giving the perfect mix of home listening fuzz and a late night dance floor.

Historia y Violencia proudly presents Raiz's "Curandero" EP.
Coming from the notorious L.A. promoters/multi-media group Droid Behavior, Vangelis and Vidal Vargas are no strangers to Techno. These brothers have been shaping and molding L.A. dance floors since the early 2000's. Formerly known as Acid Circus, they started to record as Raíz in 2010 for their first release on Historia y Violencia.
Here, the brothers dive deep into the realm of music and structure, with two moving tracks that defy their live performances. Curandero builds up through out the track with every bit of 909 drum and just enough fx's to keep you focused on your 1-2 step. With Sabio, Raíz dives deep using the classic Convextion formula to hypnotize the audience in their style. Both tracks tell a story of what Raiz is about and what part they hold in L.A. Techno History.

DVA started off Hyperdub's barrage of albums in 2012 with his brilliant 'Pretty Ugly', and now closes the the year with the 'Fly Juice' EP's bumper selection of machine tooled tracks, each created for optimum dancefloor damage and road tested by DVA, Kode9 and a select bunch of DJs. These four tracks are a brilliant example of what he's been describing as 'power house' for a while, a colourful chunky techno sound that switches up every 8 bars like grime and has plenty of shuffle and offbeat swing as a counterpoint to the 4/4 drums. 'Fly Juice' opens with sweet jazz funk Rhodes before dropping into weightless bouncey chopped vocals and stuttering drums building through 8 bar patterns - with the Rhodes as a sweetner, it's bliss! 'Do It' runs a stuttering voice, a huge deep bassline and relentless building stabs against shuffling drums. On 'Walk it Out', the repetition of the title over a pummelling two note melody is positively dumb, but pitched against swirling effects and whooshing chords the effect is epic. 'Long Street' features a collaboration with South African producer Big Space, and echoes the sound of early UK bleep and bass with a stern melody, breaking down into swirling Detroit-like chords, while shuffling along on a crisp, scissoring rhythm. After the sweet and sour songfulness of his album 'Pretty Ugly', the 'Fly Juice' EP shows DVA returning to his dancefloor roots. As an amazing DJ/producer, you can expect more of this in 2013.

Terror Danjah's second Hyperdub album is 'The Dark Crawler', a well-paced and much more upfront and energetic journey through his musical world than his debut 'Undeniable'. The album revolves around the 'Dark Crawler' theme, a blistering grime track that pops up several times, vocaled by MC's Riko Dan, Mayhem, Deadly and Saf One, and then lastly Trim and Kossie. That's not to say the album is one dimensional or relentless. It's subtley balanced with the 'Dark Crawler' thread of tracks allowing the album to spin off in a web of directions without losing any focus. It's a much more contained body of work, paced to keep the listeners interest. From the 'Dark Crawler' intro into the cartoonish horror soundtrack of 'Mirror's Edge', which tricks you into thinking its just any dubstep tune, before scattering into Terror's signature broken kicks and claps. 'Dark Gremlinz' featuring D.O.K. is a classic peak-era asymmetric grime instrumental. The album then drops down into the 130ish speed of 'Air Max 90' featuring Champion, which builds from a soca-like drum drill stretching the rhythm to the point of collapse with a wonky synth, before concluding on a driving baseline house 4/4. The first 'Dark Crawler' vocal is next, with a ferocious performance from veteran Roll Deep MC Riko Dan, who drops bloodthirsty threats at a breakneck pace. Next, the tempo drops down again to the drunk funk of 'Full Hundred', with criss cross claps and a rasping bassline breaking down into live drumming and tight trap door edits. Things speed up a little again with the intricate 8 bar funky of 'Rum Punch', a hard drum tattoo rolling out over a heavy detuned bassline and intense bleeps. On the second 'Dark Crawler', mic duties are shared by Birmingham MC's Mayhem , Deadly and Saf One. Their hard vocals contrast with lush styled R'n'B of 'You Make Me Feel' featuring Meleka. The album then rolls out into the galloping drums and smooth G-Funk synths of 'Baby Oil'. Trim and Kossie drop the final 'Dark Crawler' vocal, with Trim dropping deadpan threats contesting with Kossie's focussed hysteria. Next up 'Delicately', with Ruby Lee Rider, starts in slow motion R'n'B mood, sweet Rhodes chords drift and bubble up as the track doubles up into dreamy drum and bass with a fluttering tabla keeping the time, and Ruby's tender vocals tempering the pace and aggression. Overall, it's a brilliant exercise in breathless rhythmic arousal. 'Moschino', on the other hand is a darker, chunkier and grimier mirror image to 'Delicately', switching up into a ferocious metallic riffage, before the album closes on an outro of 'Dark Crawler' again. Form, function, energy and talent fuse perfectly over 'The Dark Crawler' s length. Enjoy the ride.

* TO CELEBRATE JAMAICA'S 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDANCE 1962-2012 We have put together a set of releases that cover the musical styles that reggae mutated into through it's history, SKA, ROCKSTEADY, ROOTS REGGAE, DUB, DJ STYLE &DANCEHALL.... So Listen Up! and enjoy!Welcome to the Dancehall Sound from Jamaica. The sound that grew out of the dances in Jamaica around the beginning ofthe 1980's.The musical style again slowed
the reggae beat down to give an uncluttered, sparce backdrop, allowing the singers and DJ's more space to express
themselves. Dancehall has never stopped but turned to a digital beat around the mid - 1980's. So Listen Up ! to some early Dancehall classics that set the style for the years that followed....

Borrowed Identity is based in the small city of Freiburg, Germany. However, his sound is BIG!
Being influenced by early Chicago and Detroit house and techno, he produces deep emotional compositions that move both soul and body. Je T'Aime is no exception. The four tracks included in the EP tell a story of autumn nostalgia for one special summer. The cure for the nostalgia is offered as well through the analog fatness of the bass lines and the sophisticated drum patterns and grooves.

PianoBatacaZoo provides us his most powerful set up ever: vibrations and Deep- House oriented strokes charged with baroque sensuality, decorating and presenting himself extra sensitive through solid percussion lines that come from UK-Funky, counteracting with elegant shines of real instruments. MNGC, a more minimal cut built from an explicit mutant bass line that works as the spine that receives new tools through the playing of the tune: dry falterings, bipolar personality that makes his own the mysticism of the original Dubstep or the synth motifs connected with the intensity of the Deep Techno. Jimmy Edgar adds a virtuous, erotic and visceral layers of manicure to PianoBatacaZoo, charging the record with positive electrons and amplifying his prole of inuential collage.

Its been six months since we enjoyed the freshest sounds from Dissonant boss Marc Antona. The release of his 'Darwin' ep for Truesoul and our heavily supported 'In Flagranti' ep, bookended April of this year and saw Marc preparing for his summer residency in Ibiza. The party island played the perfect host to the Frenchman as electrified the floor of Marco Carola's hugely successful Music On parties. Three months on the spiritual white isle was always set to influence and inspire and it was these experiences and special moments that Marc sought to share through his new productions. Our first taster of these summer sessions is the double-header of 'Sorry For The Violence' and 'Thats The Way To Do It.' We are treated to trademark Antona grooves powered by organic percussion and crisp drum work that gives both tracks an uncluttered spacial feel. You can sense the summer breeze flowing through each. As the winter chill draws closer our new Dissonant release allows us to hold tight, those final rays of sunshine.

Unxpozd presents the third Dj Aakmael project - Breathe Deeper, which is a testament to Aak's amazing and captivating style of house music.The main track Breathe Deep takes you back to the 'golden era' of house music, giving you that raw sound with Esq once again on vocals. Untitled 79, for those who love their music old-school and classic but fresh this is for you. With a phat deep bass, lush chords and keys throughout, this one is sure to please the deepest and most mature househeads. Lastly to close, Aakmael continues his dubb series with Dubb 2, continuing to pay homage to one of the sounds that caught his ears' attention so many years ago. This track is a little more trancy, very deep and has that meditative vibe all deep house heads look to escape to.

The top futuristic year is 12006: next up on label-owner David Vunk's Moustache Recordings label is a collaboration between him and fellow Rotterdam rogue, Ben La Desh who between them have combined to produce two tracks full of spaced out house, techno, electronic and disco feelings. First up, Turner drops a rich colour palette of vibrant space disco prize strings. The creeping cresecendo of synth-led brushstrokes paint a rich impressionistic glow interpersed with positive vocal samples drifting through like dutch boats in a gale. Next up Deep Valley takes off over the snow-capped mountain tops and towards the flowing river of deep techno drums. Eerie soaring strings and isolated vocal snaps conjure up images of cavernous depths of deep sea and space as we go deeper into the valley of the dolls. With releases coming on strong over the past few years La Desh continues his ascent into production adulthood on the 21st release on Moustache Recordings while Vunk's typical high-class production values shine through this entire release. Further collaborations between this duo would be only gezellig.

2 slamming tracks by label heads Silent Servant and Santiago Salazar with that classic Historia y Violencia formula!
Side A "Mi Alma" is a throbbing beast of a track with Silent Servant's signature feedback sound underlying it all. While the drums pulsate along the track, the main synth modulates throughout working the dance floor to a techno frenzy.
Side B "Corazon" is the perfect contrast! Taking notes from the 313, Salazar builds this track with vibes and strings to a uplifting Detroit vibe that is his signature sound.

Next up in the Delsin house series is a man who's been perfecting it for years - Düsseldorf's Andy Vaz. The boss of Yore and Background Records, Vaz has released two full lengths and many EPs to date, always exploring a heartfelt brand of electronica that draws on house, techno, Detroit and Chicago in equal measure.

Here he serves up two versions of the same track - 'Don't Lose Your Mind'. Both feature the sweet vocal stylings of Niko Marks and the first, the Soul Version, is all ditty, bouncy chords, floating, summery saxophone lines and warm, effusive synths.

The second House Dub mix is a little sharper - the claps cut through the soupy sonics like a knife and as a result the groove has a more urgent bite. Still stuffed with plenty of human loveliness, though, both tracks are surely set for many spins this summer given their classy feel good vibes.

Acid Jazz Silver Jubilee release, in 7" house bag. First ever 45 released on Acid Jazz Records (originally released as a fake US import, which fooled many a reviewer), marking the beginning of a new musical era. Galliano's sound defined the feel of the time, and the band enjoyed a productive relationship with producer Chris Bangs throughout the late 80s and early 90s, establishing themselves as first-class act of global proportions.

Finnish DJ crew Rollomatik break out on the Boogie Boutique imprint with a two track release that aims to represent the Arctic Circle fully in the nu funk/breakbeat scene. Formed of Hesh & Eaves, Rollomatik aim to rock the party and that much is evident on this cheeky 12" with "We Love To Party" deftly blending Will Smith with Chic amidst a melange of other recognisable samples. A similar approach runs through flipside jam "The Greatest" as Rollomatik lay down the vocal from an oft used Q-Tip solo joint over a heavily filtered take on Sister Sledge's most ubiquitous track.

There's no need to do a big introduction of Deep Space Orchestra. Si Murray and Chris Barker have releases on a number of heavyweight labels (e.g. Delusions of Grandeur or Use of Weapons) and regular guest appearances at club nights and radio shows throughout the UK and rest of the world. Their second EP for Quintessentials is some raw and analogue business topped with the DSO funk! Wolf Music hot shot KRL adds some piano and old school power on his remix and we must admit we're delighted!

The new Wheel and Deal production partnership between N-Type and Surge, releasing their 1st EP: September Sun.A: September Sun ft Pyxis - After the success of Surges first single with Pyxis (Leech), she once again delivers her signature vocal style, this time laid down on the fresh and original collaboration between Wheel and Deal label head N-Type and rising star Surge. The combination of production styles has built a fresh take on the dubstep sound. This featured in N-Types mini mix for Mistajams Radio 1 show earlier this year, with continuous radio support from Hatcha at Kiss 100, Mistajam, Walsh (Biscuit Factory Records) and N-Types Rinse FM show, every Tuesday 9-11pm. B: Mega-Tron - Featuring live guitar from Jonny Boltano, showcasing a different side to the duos production skills. Rolling rock style drums and build ups drop into a continuously transforming bassline. As the the track develops, the influx of the orchestra ends the track dramatically. Being battered by Hatcha at Kiss 100, Soap Dodgers, Laxx, Walsh, N-Type & Surge. This also featured in N-Types mini mix for Mistajams Radio 1 show earlier this year.C: Triangles - Old school Jungle/DnB, dub and techno influences rain through in this track. Dark & atmospheric, this could easily be a soundtrack of horror film proportions. The Bass is thick and punchy with the eerie sample 'Dark Triangles!' slicing through the darkness. Support from Mistajam, Hatcha, Soap Dodgers, Walsh, N-Type & Surge. D: Zombie Apocalypse - This one is more on the jump up side, proving the diversity in N-Type & Surge's production style. As the zombies approach, tension builds to the drop with the dramatic sample 'This is the End'. The bass is weighty and growling, like a blood thirsty monster. The second drop steps up the pace with a staggered, automated bass rinse out.

Our next Stil vor Talent 12 sounds like a mysterious, alien soundscape transmitted straight from outer space to the peak-time dance-floors of planet Earth. Edu Imbernon has already demonstrated a brilliant ear for pulsating house music on his remix for Niconé & Sascha Braemer's 'Dreamer'. Here, he once again teams up with fellow Spaniard Triumph, while SVT favourites Kellerkind and Niko Schwind are on remix duty. The title 'Mystery Inside' couldn't be more fitting to the meteorite shower the duo conjure up with the aid of vocalist Sutja Gutierrez on the A-side: sharp hi-hats lead straight into a moody bass-line that meets a beautifully rounded kick and percussion-workout. Things get otherworldly as synths start flying through the speakers, finally beaming you to another galaxy once Gutierrez' heavily spaced out vocals set in. On the flip, Kellerkind slows things down considerably and builds on the original's UFO-synths, while Niko Schwind cherry picks his favourite parts of 'Mystery Inside' and contextualises them within his own 80s synth motif and fat breakdown. Extraterrestrial warning: the Spaniards have landed!

freshly repressed!
Leisure System, the collective, label and famed Berghain club night of four years standing, is back with their third release from co-founder and resident, Sam Barker. Known for its genre-defiant lineups, Leisure System's quarterly residency has consistently brought together artists with varying styles. Flying Lotus, Autechre, Afrika Hitech, Jackmaster, Surgeon, Jimmy Edgar, Blawan, 808 State, Dopplereffekt, Clark, Machinedrum, Surgeon, Venetian Snares, Objekt and Egyptian Lover have all graced the decks, showing off the collective's commitment to the exploration of new and experimental sounds in EDM. The development of the label, and now this release from Barker, is no exception. After discovering computers and raves in the late '90s, Barker began making tracks at age 13, building up a sizable collection of vintage analogue synths, paving the way for his future solo work and collaborations with artists like Tim Exile, Clark, Shitmat, Scotch Egg, The Field, Leafcutter John and Jimmy Edgar. Shortly after his 2007 move to Berlin, Barker began collaborating with fellow Berghain resident nd_baumecker, resulting in their ongoing project Barker & Baumecker. Their first EP 'Candyflip', was released on Ostgut Ton in 2010, followed up by a live show tour throughout Europe. The duo is currently readying their second EP and have a long player due out in August 2012. For this new solo EP, mastered by electronic music legend Pole, Barker presents a creative three-track lesson in diversity and highlights Leisure System's ever-evolving aural curiosity. The opener and title track 'Like An Animal' is a number that builds and builds, quickly changing course and mutating into a percussive and texturized melting pot of sounds. Up next the hypnotic 'I Feel', which is filled with moody pads and syncopated breakbeat rhythms, paving the way for the mechanical, yet smooth half-step rhythm of 'Hot Lover'. Siimilar to the collective, this offering pushes boundaries and mirrors the progressive ideals of the collective. Just like Leisure System's first two 12's from Pixelord and Eprom in 2011, Barker's 'Like An Animal' EP is a clear statement of the label's simple and distinct commitment : to be a platform for timeless, thrilling and soulful dance music in the fields of house, techno and electronica, disregarding media hype and genre borders. In keeping with this clear sonic manifesto, Leisure System's design aesthetic is equally individual, with all vinyl releases housed in deluxe die-cut jackets.

With his sophomore album Ghost People appearing on 2011's end of the year charts for the likes of Mixmag (#6), Clash Magazine (#9), DJ Magazine (#9), Data Transmission (Album of the Year), Martyn returns to Brainfeeder to release a follow-up 12' this March.

The 12' leads with "Hello Darkness", previously unreleased and exclusive to the release, Martyn shuffles through a rhythmic bassline and feeling of, indeed, darkness from the very first beat. In typical Martyn fashion, the track skips its way through genre conventions, landing in a flux between 2-step, driving techno and old rave (the latter specifically heard in his ethereal and scaling upper melodies). "Hello Darkness" could lend itself to the rawest, grittiest warehouse, yet simultaneously breeds a subtle feeling of elation and release, and keeps the listener guessing with a variety of quirky sound collages.
It also features a remix of "Bauplan", Night Slugs bosses L-Vis 1990 and Bok Bok bringing the most sinister corners of London into their remix, with a heavy grime lean and a pervading feeling of tension. Erratic samples (sounds of a tweeting bird one moment, the cocking of a gun the next) appear in-between a snap beat, metallic stabs and an apocalyptic build-up of percussion and synths. Pulsing in and out of a highly volatile atmosphere, almost as if the track is alive and breathing, this "Bauplan" almost feels like an unrelated beast until Martyn's melody lines start to unfold halfway through the track.
To finish there is an exclusive remix of "We Are You In The Future", a favourite from the Ghost People LP amongst critics and DJs across the board. Techno's notorious man in the red mask - Redshape - steps up to create a deep and dark Detroit interpretation of Martyn's freewheeling, sci-fi-enhanced joyride. Laced with ominous vocal samples ('It may be an accidental side effect of the drug'), the future takes on a slightly more dystopian feel with Redshape's melancholic strings, unpredictable percussion builds and a lingering, creeping reinterpretation of the track's original melodies. A definitive nod to the epic work of Derrick May and Carl Craig, with a hint of Kenny Larkin's intricate builds.
"By the time the imitators catch up, he'll be light years ahead." DJ Mag

Up and away / To your journey to the sun / Drink your rocket juice / Fly away (Hey, Shooter).
High up in the skies, amongst the clouds, Rocket Juice & The Moon was born. Literally. It happened back in 2008, when Damon Albarn, Flea and Tony Allen convened on the same Lagos flight, to play and exchange musical ideas in that city as part of the Africa Express collective. Relishing a shared enthusiasm for one another's work, and bonding immediately, there and then the triumvirate laid down the blueprint for Rocket Juice.
Still, more than a year passed before conditions were set for three weeks together at Albarn's West London studio, recording and refining two-dozen startlingly out and deeply funky instrumental grooves. The next stage was to invite onboard some extremely talented friends, with further sessions in Dallas, New York, Chicago and Paris... Erykah Badu, no less, queen of contemporary soul. Three companions from Africa Express: Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara, whose debut album has topped World Music charts since its release last Autumn; her multi-talented compatriot Cheick Tidiane Seck, whose prodigious keyboardism has lit up releases by artists ranging from Youssou N'Dour to Hank Jones; the young, Ghanaian rapper M.anifest, quizzically existential, switching seamlessly between Twi and English. And the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, long-time stalwarts in the Honest Jon's set-up — since one of the team discovered them busking near the shop in Portobello Road, on his lunchbreak — with a second album for the label due in May... Finally, the tracks were dispatched for mixing to Berlin, to be meticulously honed, polished and envenomed by Mark Ernestus, one half of the legendary Basic Channel and Rhythm & Sound partnerships.
The result is Rocket Juice & The Moon — out March 26, 2012, on Honest Jon's Records — a triumphant exploration and proliferation of kinetic Afro-funk rhythms: organic, exuberant, communal music-making, evidenced by the project's live debut on stage as part of the Honest Jon's Chop Up in late 2011, which hit London, Marseille, Dublin, and Cork to such great acclaim (witness the flurry of smart-phone film-clips uploaded in the days thereafter).
From the inaugural bars — that absurdly funky slice of instructional timekeeping, 1-2-3-4-5-6 — the liquid pulse of Fela Kuti's classic recordings drives the action through a suite of 18 shape-shifting compositions. The greatest drummer in the world has never sounded so good as he does here. His intricate cross-patterns jostle and lock with Flea's nimble, rumbling bass riffs. Joined by Seck on There and Extinguished — 'when you dispose of something burning, be sure it's out' — Albarn's keyboards spray synth fusillades up top, over, and under... splicing into the mess of wires running between the freaked Afro-disco of William Onyeabor and the space-jazz-moog of Sun Ra. The HBE brings extra intensity and drama to Leave-Taking — likewise Flea's trumpet to Rotary Connection — teasing out the haunting melody coiled in the mix.
Where the best of vintage Afrobeat sides sustained their concentrated energies over the course of sprawling, marathon jams, RJ & TM manages something altogether different: the group bottles the idiom into capsules of funk... and real songs. Beautifully buoyed by Erykah Badu's unmistakable vocals, Hey, Shooter brilliantly traverses metaphysical spaceways sans any semblance of noodling. Lolo and Follow-Fashion — featuring the open-hearted sensuality of Diawara's singing, M.anifest's quick, brawny science, and more brass blasts — play like its musical cousins or codas. Indeed, the album's shrewd sequencing creates the composite effect of tracks working both individually or within the context of an extended song-cycle.
The lovely ballad, Poison, is bittersweet and ruminative: 'If you're looking for love, beware the signs / They will paralyze you one by one / Poison, it will only break your heart.' Down-tempo and dubby, Check Out and Worries amplify the range of styles and moods. And by the time of Fatherless — a chugging Afro blues that evokes John Lee Hooker lost in Lagos, one gets the sneaking suspicion there's very little outside the reach of this collective's inventive musical grasp.
There is, in fact, a palpable openness pervading Rocket Juice & The Moon — the sense of a limber willingness to follow creative impulse — right down to how the group acquired its name. When Ogunajo Ademola — the Lagotian commissioned to do the album's cover artwork — dubbed his submission 'Rocket Juice & The Moon', it quickly morphed into the formal name of the project, like trying to hold onto mercury.
Surely, the stars above also approved.

repress

To celebrate the 10th release on Lunar Disko Records, we will also be releasing a 10" from that boy Automatic Tasty. LDR 10.10 is a conceptual 4 track EP named Fieldwork. Automatic Tasty tells a tale through his machines of a lonely Wicklow field from dawn till dusk....limited red vinyl pressing

Eagerly anticipated new sophomore album from critically acclaimed electronica legend Martyn, and his first through Flying Lotus' label Brainfeeder. Double LP features one disc of black vinyl and one disc of white coloured vinyl.

Having just celebrated it's 50th release with Photek's 'Closer' 12', Tectonic moves straight into bold new territories, introducing a new artist to the label: namely Distal from Atlanta, USA. His approach to music production is refreshingly dynamic and eclectic, taking elements of the familiar and making it sound obscure while injecting plenty of energy and dancefloor savvy throughout his productions.

One can hardly imagine the genre-busting, culture-crossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of R&B pioneer Betty Davis. Her style of raw and revelatory punk-funk defies any notions that women can’t be visionaries in the worlds of rock and pop. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over her intensely strong but sensual music.



There is one testimonial about Betty Davis that is universal: she was a woman ahead of her time. In our contemporary moment, this may not be as self-evident as it was thirty years ago – we live in an age that’s been profoundly changed by flamboyant flaunting of female sexuality: from Parlet to Madonna, Lil Kim to Kelis. Yet, back in 1973 when Betty Davis first showed up in her silver go-go boots, dazzling smile and towering Afro, who could you possibly have compared her to? Marva Whitney had the voice but not the independence. Labelle wouldn’t get sexy with their “Lady Marmalade” for another year while Millie Jackson wasn’t Feelin’ Bitchy until 1977. Even Tina Turner, the most obvious predecessor to Betty’s fierce style wasn’t completely out of Ike’s shadow until later in the decade.



Ms. Davis’s unique story, still sadly mostly unknown, is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song “Uptown” for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late ’60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix — personally inspiring the classic album Bitches Brew.



But her songwriting ability was way ahead of its time as well. Betty not only wrote every song she ever recorded and produced every album after her first, but the young woman penned the tunes that got The Commodores signed to Motown. The Detroit label soon came calling, pitching a Motown songwriting deal, which Betty turned down. Motown wanted to own everything. Heading to the UK, Marc Bolan of T. Rex urged the creative dynamo to start writing for herself. A common thread throughout Betty’s career would be her unbending Do-It-Yourself ethic, which made her quickly turn down anyone who didn’t fit with the vision. She would eventually say no to Eric Clapton as her album producer, seeing him as too banal.



Her 1974 sophomore album They Say I’m Different features a worthy-of-framing futuristic cover challenging David Bowie’s science fiction funk with real rocking soul-fire, kicked off with the savagely sexual “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him” (later sampled by Ice Cube). Her follow up is full of classic cuts like “Don’t Call Her No Tramp” and the hilarious, hard, deep funk of “He Was A Big Freak.”

It's been 16 years since the guy's debut on Moving Shadow and throughout those years they have recorded for a number of labels such as Reinforced, Good Looking, Hospital, Botchit & Scarper, Southern Fried, Polydor and Mr. Bongo. But their real passion is Passenger, 14 years of pushing out the cutting edge dance music of all genres and things have come near full circle.

Rockwell's rise to prominence as a rare, distinctive talent has been exciting the electronica music circuit the world over. Critical, thankfully, being the trusty forefront for all things audio-aesthetically delicious, presents the 'Aria EP' - 4 tracks of sound sublime, exemplifying Rockwell's refreshing angle on energy in the club combined with the characteristic, meticulously playful technicals, precise and thrilling as ever.The charmingly rustic intro of 'Aria' unleashes striking Flinstones-esque wooden triplets, scaling the track as stirring vocals weave through; haunting and uplifting at once, the title-track exudes sheer class. Slightly more buoyant, 'Live For The Moment' infuses an energetic tempo with profusions of ear-carressing funk and those ever-characteristic percussive twists - naughty all over. Swiftly plunged into apocalyptic darkness, the Ulterior Motive boys take a sinister liking to 'Noir'. Distinctly menacing and genuinely frightening, what better to bully the atmosphere than Hell-raising bass and staccato violins. Listen out for the breakdown bass - horrific and enriching, this track is dark by Devil's definition. Icing on the cake collaboration with underground legend Untold comes in the form of 'Rehoku Sunrise', a tribal earthy worldly masterpiece of running drums and raw, wild samples, glazing the soul in bliss. Bellissimo.

GREENER RECORDS was founded in January 2008 by Andrés Zacco. The label is the channel through which Andres expresses his vision about techno music. It was also created for the purpose of bringing together his close family of fellow artists who share a similar style and approach to music: Lucas Mari, Franco Cinelli, Leonel Castillo or Lineas De Nazca.

Known in many circles for his wonderful dubstep excursions comes San Francisco native 'DJG' with his excellent take on Drum & Bass. This is his first release when it comes to D&B and we are very proud to be releasing these amazing tunes! Welcome aboard!

A. HYDRATE A deep menacing vibe kicks things off a a steady kick while claps and thick snare are sprinkled throughout leading up to a thunderous reese that will challenge any system. Muffled horns and vocals keep things interesting leading up to a subterranean breakout takes things into dubby territory! A truly wonderful piece of original music!

AA. HYDRATE ( CONSEQUENCE REMIX ) Known for his work with the Autonomic crew, Consequence seemed the perfect match to recreate an already wonderful tune and does a great job with this remix. A hazy intro with dusty crackles leads into the tune's signature kick with claps. Dubby stabs with a drawn out horn take things deeper before the bass punches through.

Consequence has taken his signature minimal sound and added upon the original for a truly deep, original recreation. These are the kind of remixes we like! Dub Dub Dub!!!

The new album will be released across a series of 4 limited edition 12" vinyls. This is the 2nd 12 inch From Tronic Jazz The Berlin Sessions. A Guy Called Gerald has spent the last couple of years flitting through shadows, turning up on labels like Perlon, Beatstreet and Sender like a peripatetic prophet of the Berlin underground, seeding the scene with cryptic singles that return to the past to suggest alternate futures. Now he returns to Berlin's Laboratory Instinct label with the follow-up to 2006's Proto Acid: The Berlin Sessions, the album that re-established Gerald as an acid hero and techno auteur. Tronic Jazz: The Berlin Sessions builds upon the foundation established by its predecessor to create an even more powerful statement of intent, one that communicates more persuasively than ever Gerald's vision for techno in its third decade of existence. One immediate difference stands out, this time around. Where Proto Acid offered a seamless mix of 24 cuts, recorded in one epic session, Tronic Jazz collects 13 standalone tracks. That's welcome news to DJs. After so many years of digital anything-goes, you might have forgotten the kind of sounds that are possible with "old" machines: the way a lead stacked against tuned percussion and shrouded in pads can evoke still other sounds, hidden in the mix, or maybe not really there at all. It's a ghostly, suggestive presence, a kind of evocation of infinite possibility within the context of a limited set of inputs. In that sense, Tronic Jazz follows a certain minimalist impulse, but it's far too lush ever to be mistaken for the dread "mnml" of recent years. This stuff is wide-eyed and full of life. When it funks, it funks hard, and when it smoothes out, it can be as intimate as a hand-written note left on a lover's pillow. As "class ic" as Tronic Jazz may be, the album refutes any notion that "class ic" equals "retro," that the ideas have all been expressed before. Tronic Jazz takes the foundations of house and techno as though they were a kind of language, and speaks volumes with them.

Let the dance floor ignite with this latest installment on the Legendary techno label.
Gideon fires em up with a set of floor rockin tracks opening up with the uplifting floor filler "Sunrising." A tune sure to reek havoc through its hypnotic synth stabs. On the flip the journey continues with the perfect warm up in "Nightfall", and progresses into a dub fueled chugger in "Daybreak".

Returning with another debut release, Second Circle's eighth record to date comes this time from young Viennese musician Giuseppe Leonardi. Performed on an array of synthesizers and experimenting with spoken word and vocals from various local singers, Giuseppe's 'TBC' EP take us on a dance through the catacombs and out through the jungle floor with ritualistic rhythm and haunting song... Whilst at other moments Giuseppe's horizontal ambient pieces leave us gazing out on the shores of a distant half-remembered planet.

Three releases deep now, Shadow Play transports us back to the nineties with this extra special collection of music from UK wizard Scott Edward. The Bristolian producer dropped a killer series of tracks from 1993 onwards, using a variety of aliases to explore the realms of the techno universe. It's an honour for Shadow Play to be able to rerelease one of Scott's classics, 'Access Activist', alongside three previously unreleased cuts from the same era. We hope you enjoy these classic examples of British underground techno...On the A-side it's the Scott Edward alias that handles matters, going straight in with the title track 'Access Activist', a mesmerising journey into analogue hyperspace. His flair for composition and arrangement really comes through on this opening track, and leads us nicely into 'All Is Lost', a nifty slice of paranoid techno with a jittery rhythm and a pervasive air of mystery.On the flip Scott's Ultra-Modern Art moniker is at the controls and the change in style is immediately apparent. Gone is the cosmic atmosphere and in its place is a funky, jazzy retro sound. The old equipment gives every sound its authentic identity, which filters through to the final track 'Brave New World' - a jaunty number, which uses acid licks, an optimistic b-line and sweet percussion to provide a delightful end to the project.